Lando Norris takes pole in rain-delayed qualifying

Qualifying began at 15:00 local time but was halted before any driver could complete a lap because conditions were deemed unsafe, according to officials. The session was later restarted an hour and 26 minutes after the scheduled start, allowing drivers to set times. Lando Norris emerged as the fastest, securing pole position after the interruption.

The stoppage was caused by the wet track, with Bearman commenting, "Definitely the wettest conditions I've experienced in a race car, if not any car, and that's saying a lot given I grew up in the UK." A number of engine‑related grid penalties reshaped the line‑up: Red Bull's Max Verstappen, who had been third fastest in the first part, skipped the second session knowing he would start from the back, while Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton also began from the rear but participated in the second run and ultimately qualified 11th after conserving his tyres. The rain created an opening for drivers in normally slower cars, notably Fernando Alonso, whose Aston Martin has struggled all season, though the Honda‑powered car still suffered from a power deficit. Norris, the 2025 world champion, had shown strong pace throughout the weekend in an upgraded McLaren and repeated his pole from Brazil last year, marking his first front‑row start since the Spanish Grand Prix in September.

Norris said, "It's been a long day, a great qualifying. It was about getting two laps in at the beginning and not making mistakes and that's what we did." George Russell expressed regret over not completing his final lap, adding, "Congrats to Lando. That was definitely the pole lap.

The rain was coming and we should have just finished the lap. Felt more confident in the wet than we did in the dry."